Blood Diamond (2006)

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writers (WGA):

Charles Leavitt (screenplay)
Charles Leavitt (story) ...

Release Date:

8 December 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Truth

Plot:

A fisherman, a smuggler, and a syndicate of businessmen match wits over the possession of a priceless diamond.

Plot Keywords:

Diamond | Fisherman | Sierra Leone | Mercenary | Journalist

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 14 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Dec. 9	11:00 PM	USA
Thur. Dec. 10	10:00 AM	USA

Cast

Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Danny Archer
Djimon Hounsou	...	Solomon Vandy
Jennifer Connelly	...	Maddy Bowen
Kagiso Kuypers	...	Dia Vandy
Arnold Vosloo	...	Colonel Coetzee
Antony Coleman	...	Cordell Brown
Benu Mabhena	...	Jassie Vandy
Anointing Lukola	...	N'Yanda Vandy
David Harewood	...	Captain Poison
Basil Wallace	...	Benjamin Kapanay
Jimi Mistry	...	Nabil
Michael Sheen	...	Rupert Simmons
Marius Weyers	...	Rudolf Van De Kaap
Stephen Collins	...	Ambassador Walker
Ntare Mwine	...	M'Ed

Also Known As:

Blood Diamond (Germany)
Okavango (USA) (original script title)
Diamante de Sangue (Brazil) (Portugal) (original subtitled version) [pt]
Diamante de sangre (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Кровавый алмаз (Russia) [ru]
Blood Diamond (France) [fr]
Blood Diamond - Veritimantti (Finland) [fi]
Blood diamond - Diamanti di sangue (Italy) [it]
Kanli elmas (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Krwawy diament (Poland) [pl]
Le diamant de sang (Canada: French title) [fr]
Matomeno diamanti (Greece) [el]
Vereteemant (Estonia) [et]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | Mende | Afrikaans

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R (certificate #43118) | Canada:14A | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Hong Kong:IIB | Brazil:16 | Malaysia:18PL | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Portugal:M/16 | Netherlands:16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Norway:15 | France:-12 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Germany:16 (bw) | Greece:K-13 | India:A | Sweden:15 | France:-16 (DVD rating) | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The pistol Danny Archer uses towards the end of the film is a Heckler & Koch USP.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The mercenary intervention in the Sierra Leone civil war (Executives Outcomes PMC) began in May, 1995 and ended in January, 1997. They were long since gone by the time of the RUF invasion of Freetown in January 1999 when the movie is set. It was actually a combination of British and UN troops who brought the war to an end in 2001. Possibly made deliberately to avoid associating EO with the fictional mercenaries, whose activities were much more sinister.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Solomon Vandy: Dia. Dia. Don't want to be late.
Dia Vandy: English boys don't go to school every day.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: 'Blood Diamond': Making an African Epic (#13.21)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Grab and Clap

Diamonds, Nerve And Indifference

The torturous road of South African diamonds to the greedy fingers of an indifferent world makes this new Edward Zwick movie one of the most powerful Action/Adventure/Dramas to come out of Hollywood in a long time. The perfect balance between entertainment and a thoughtful social commentary helps the center of the story to have a real heart and a palpable respect for us, the audience. All this praise and I still have not mentioned Leonardo Di Caprio or Djimon Hounsou but I'm going to. Di Caprio opens a new door, introducing us to a character who is a first in his already extraordinary career. He startled us as a very young man with "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" before he fell with a serious case of Titanictis. Now, after a three a long and serious Scorsese cures, this spectacular actor makes me believe that we haven't seen anything yet. Remarkable. As remarkable as the soulful Djimon Hounsou who manages to give the film a visible soul. I was moved and yes, I must admit, surprised. Apart from the visual and interpretative prowess of "Blood Diamond" there is a realistic view of a third world country as shattering as the unforgettable one in "City Of God" Don't miss it.